Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation Vol. 18

it was a waste to simply keep her as a maid in the house.

“All right,” she said. “I trust you, Big Brother. You know, she’s really
soft when it comes to you. So make sure you explain everything to her
properly, okay?”

And with this, I had my own subordinates under the company name
Ruquag’s Mercenary Band. I’d never had people working under me like this.
I could use them for all kinds of things for me in the future. So many
possibilities opened up before me.

“Oh yeah, Boss!”

Lost in my thoughts, I was just about ready to take Aisha home when
Linia called out.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Got a letter recently from the Great Forest, mew.”

Huh. From the Great Forest? Written by Pursena, I assumed.

Linia passed it to me. I noticed it was addressed to her, and she’d
already opened it and read the contents. There was no name to indicate who’d
sent it, which made me wonder how she knew it came from the Great Forest.
Perhaps the scent? Without wasting any time, I pulled out the letter tucked
inside and glanced over the contents.

My breath caught in my throat.

The writer wasted no time with seasonal greetings or anything of the
sort. Their message was simple and short, penned in the Beast Tongue: Big
trouble! The Sacred Beast has gone missing! Calling for an emergency
search and rescue!

“For his part, the Sacred Beast said to leave it and not worry about it,
so it’s probably no big deal, mew.” Linia threaded her fingers behind her
head and chuckled.

Silently, I resolved to visit the Great Forest. It’d probably be a good
idea to take a gift along as well, as a form of apology.

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Ruquag’s Mercenary Band
CHAIRMAN: Rudeus Greyrat
ACTING CEO: Linia Dedoldia
ADVISOR AND VICE CHIEF: Aisha Greyrat
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: Approximately fifty
BRAND: Part of the Orsted Corporation
CONSULTANT: Silent Sevenstar

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Chapter 8:
Revisiting the Doldia Village

I BROUGHT LINIA and the Sacred Beast Leo along on the trip to the

Great Forest. Eris desperately wanted to come along as well, but I asked her
to stay behind given how heavily pregnant she was. Her stress was probably
mounting since she’d recently lost her toy (Linia). Taking her to a village
filled with beastfolk in that state would only dare her to try and kidnap
someone else to take home with us.

Meanwhile Linia whined, “I don’t wanna go back. If I do, I’ll just be
forced to act as Pursena’s minion.” Unfortunately, I didn’t think I could earn
their trust if I went alone. I needed her help persuading them.

My bad—I should have written them a letter right after I summoned
Leo here. I screwed that up for sure.

Anyway, even though beastfolk tended to be stubborn, I was a more
mature person now. Things certainly wouldn’t go as poorly as they did the
last time. I would make sure to explain everything properly, and I’d have the
Sacred Beast and Linia along for the trip.

I left Aisha in charge of our mercenary band. She wouldn’t have
problems since she handled most of the administrative work to begin with.
The members mostly looked to Linia at the start, but they’d come to respect
Aisha as well. Surely there’d be no issue with Linia leaving for a bit to take a
business trip.

Honestly, this little journey did mean I was running behind on my
work for Orsted. It was best to nip trouble in the bud before it got any bigger,
though, so I wanted to get this out of the way first. If I didn’t, I risked getting
even more behind on my assignments. It would be a huge headache if a
swarm of beastfolk charged into Sharia a year from now trying to get the
Sacred Beast back.

When I explained things to Orsted and tried to impress the urgency of
the situation upon him, he didn’t seem particularly bothered by my request.
He offered to watch over the house while I was gone, in fact. Thanks to my

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contributions, he’d laid far more groundwork against the Man-God during
this loop than any other, so he didn’t mind me getting a little sidetracked. If
anything, we had some breathing room.

As much as I wanted to head straight for the office basement and hop
on the teleportation circle to go straight to the Doldia Village, our circle in
the Great Forest was actually located quite a distance away from them.
Instead, I decided to pay a visit to Perugius. Knowing him, I figured he might
be aware of some abandoned teleportation ruins closer to the northern part of
the Great Forest.

***

When I visited, Perugius was leaning back in his chair as usual,
surrounded by his ten familiars and Sylvaril. The missing eleventh familiar
had been deployed to the Asuran palace to act as his representative.

“The Great Forest, you say?”

I tilted my head. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No. Do you plan to leave immediately?”

“The sooner the better, I figure.”

His face clouded over for a split second when I informed him I would
be going to the Great Forest, as if he were hesitating. He acquiesced almost
immediately, though, and agreed to act as my taxi.

This man really is magnanimous, I thought.

“That said… The Sacred Beast, hm? That does bring back some
unpleasant memories,” Perugius said. He glanced at Leo, brows drawn.

I wondered what was behind that reaction, but he probably was
acquainted with the previous Sacred Beast, having lived as long as he had. I
had no idea what their relationship was, but why was he still making that
face, knowing the current incarnation before him was our house pet?

Leo didn’t mind the way Perugius eyed him. He sat there looking
poised. It was Linia who seemed petrified. Apparently she’d met Perugius
once before when she came here with Aisha, but she still hadn’t gotten used

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to being in his presence.

“I’m sorry my little sister imposed on you the other day,” I said to
Perugius.

“Think nothing of it.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I like clever
people like her.”

Seeing that he wasn’t particularly disgruntled by her intrusion, I
imagined Aisha must have handled her visit with him well.

“By the way,” said Perugius, “I hear you have had a daughter.”

“Yes. Did Aisha tell you?”

“Mmhm. How fortunate for you that you did not have a boy with green
hair.” He spoke as if he was trying to suss me out.

“…Yeah. It is a great relief that my child wasn’t Laplace reincarnated.”

Perugius broke out into a grin. “Oh? Judging by your reply, I suppose
Orsted must have told you about our peoples’ ability to reincarnate.”

“He did.”

“In that case, be sure you don’t forget this: when the day comes that
Laplace reincarnates, I will kill him, regardless of if he happens to be your
son.” His teeth showed as his smile spread.

That’s terrifying.

“Well, personally, I’d like to pray that never happens.”

Personally, I was split on the matter of Laplace. According to Orsted,
he was the last of the dedicated warriors to have continued fighting the Man-
God over a long period. That would make him an ally under normal
circumstances, but he was defeated by the Man-God. The resulting split in his
personality resulted in one half deceiving Ruijerd and becoming bitter
enemies with Perugius. That made him my enemy. If such a man was then
born as my son, I wouldn’t know what to do.

I wasn’t too worried, of course. Orsted implied he already knew
exactly when, where, and under whose identity Laplace would reincarnate.
My appearance may have altered the future, but since Laplace seemed to
have a strong destiny of his own, I wanted to believe my presence wouldn’t
greatly influence that.

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“That said, I have no desire to cross blades with you,” said Perugius.
“If anyone resembling Laplace is born into your family, you should consult
me first.” He spoke as if trying to counsel me as he got up from his throne.

I had no idea what “consulting him” would involve, but judging from
his tone, it didn’t seem like he’d let Laplace slip away at all. Perhaps agreeing
not to kill him outright and without warning was Perugius’s way of showing
mercy.

“Now then,” Perugius said, “I will begin preparations for your
teleportation circle. Wait in your room for a bit.”

I decided to pay a visit to Nanahoshi while the teleportation circle was
being prepared, but she wasn’t in her usual room. I meandered through the
halls wondering where she could have gone when I encountered Miss Yuzuru
of Atonement, and asked her where Nanahoshi was. It turned out that at this
time of the day she was busy learning about the practical application of
teleportation circles. There was a lot of information to digest and remember,
which had to be rough. I fully intended to pitch in to help in if she needed,
but for the moment, I’d leave the potato chips and salted rice balls for her to
find later. Some nostalgic food would be healing for the soul.

After that, I went to my assigned room and waited patiently. Linia’s
eyes lit up when she saw how opulent the rooms were. She wasted no time
diving onto the plush couch.

“Haah,” she sighed. “You being unfazed I get, but Aisha being fearless
is another story, Boss. Can’t believe she can act on equal footing with
someone that terrifying, mew…” Linia stretched out her body as she
grumbled.

I had no idea what Aisha had discussed with Perugius, but knowing
her, everything must have gone well. Perugius seemed pretty chill about their
encounter as well. My only worry was Aisha’s occasional propensity to say
what she was thinking even if it was insensitive or offensive.

Maybe I’d better take some preemptive measures to make sure she
doesn’t step on Perugius’s toes.

“Linia, none of us are on equal footing with him,” I said. “We’re all
beneath him. The only reason Aisha was forgiven for being so brazen is

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because Lord Perugius is a magnanimous man.”

“Think so, mew? Sure he’s not just terrified of that big bad Dragon
God boss you got behind ya? I haven’t met him myself, but he’s pretty scary,
right? Cliff was a trembling mess, mew.”

“Hey, knock that off! That’s not true at all!” I snapped.

You’re the fearless one. Or maybe reckless is the better word.

Perugius could overhear every word of our conversation. This was the
equivalent of squeezing water from a dirty dishrag into someone’s tea before
serving it. Honestly! I couldn’t believe the nerve of her.

Not long after that conversation, a grumpy Sylvaril showed up. As I
suspected, she’d overheard us. “Lord Perugius is a magnanimous man, and he
thinks of you as a close friend,” she said with added emphasis, as if to put me
in my place.

There no was no need for that; I wasn’t getting ahead of myself. And
I’d prefer it if she didn’t take what this idiot cat said seriously. Besides, it was
a great honor being considered a friend by someone as awe-inspiring as Lord
Perugius. I said as much to Sylvaril, trying to butter her up, but my attempt
was apparently a little overdone because it did nothing to soften her bad
mood. “Preparations are complete, so please come this way,” she said
irritably as she ushered us out of the room.

Sylvaril guided us to the basement of the fortress: it was the same dark,
dank maze we’d descended into on our trip to the Demon Continent. In one
of the dimly lit rooms we found Perugius and Nanahoshi standing side-by-
side. Before them was, unsurprisingly, a teleportation circle. It wasn’t
emitting any light; they must not have activated it yet.

As I waited, wondering what the holdup could be, Nanahoshi took a
deep breath, holding a magic crystal in her hands.

“You’re only putting into practice what you already know. No need to
feel nervous,” said Perugius.

“Right…” Nanahoshi stepped closer to the circle. “Rudeus, go ahead
and get on it. I apologize in advance if I mess something up.” Her face was
tense with anxiety as she motioned us toward the circle.

From the look of things, she was going to be the one to activate the

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circle this time. So we were going to be her guinea pigs, huh? I shouldn’t
complain: I was the one who came and asked for a favor out of the blue.

“Sylvaril,” said Perugius. “Did you hand them the map?”

“Oh, pardon me. I nearly forgot.” Sylvaril fished a map out of her
pocket and handed it over.

I opened it and studied it. The Doldia Village was near the edge of the
paper, so I could only assume we’d be teleporting to the ruins in the middle.
It looked like the village was half a day’s travel away. Perhaps it was because
the whole place was covered in forest, but the two locations looked fairly
close by. I decided to show Linia and see what she had to say.

“Ah, I know where this is, mew. Don’t worry, it’s pretty close, mew.”

Then surely everything would be fine. It had been close to a decade
since Linia had last been home, but since it was her birthplace, it was
probably best to leave navigation to her.

As for you, Miss Sylvaril, I bet you had no intention of handing us that
map unless Lord Perugius said something first. Such wicked behavior is very
unbecoming, you know. I’ll tattle on you to Lord Perugius!

“Now, let’s get started,” said Perugius.

“All right.” Nanahoshi knelt and drew the magic crystal close to the
circle. With a brush in hand, she began drawing something on the ground.

“Just to be on the safe side, we’re only going to activate the circle for a
moment. Once you’re over there, you’ll need to figure things out yourself,”
said Perugius. “Understood?”

I blinked at him, confused. “Yes… Understood.”

Since they were still busy setting everything up, my mind didn’t really
register the words as I gave a perfunctory reply. I only started to contemplate
the meaning of what he said after that. Would there be a lot of beasts awaiting
us? No, wait. Considering the time of year, perhaps…

“Hey, about what you said—” Linia blurted, having realized the
implication at the same moment I did.

Alas, Nanahoshi had already finished her preparations. Once she’d
drawn the circle with her brush, she put her magic crystal on top of it. The

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circle began to faintly glow afterward, and we found ourselves sucked in.

***

“Urk!”
The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by water that rose all the way
to my stomach. Below it, I spotted the magic circle that had brought us here.
The light it had emitted soon disappeared.
“Meeeew! I knew it, it’s the rainy season!” Linia squeaked, cradling
Leo in her arms. Despite essentially being a dog, he held his head high as if
he thought it was only natural for her to carry him, even though he was
already completely soaked. To make matters worse, our luggage was
waterlogged too.

Oh, great. That means my apology gift is probably sopping wet.
The water was freezing. If we didn’t hurry out of here and find a place
to dry off, we risked catching a cold.

Not that a cold really matters. A little detoxification magic will fix that
right up.

Those thoughts knocked around in my head as I began the search for
some stairs, but I saw nothing that would help us to climb out of here. That
left me with only one option. I called forth a lamplight spirit to aid me, and
finally, located a stairway…that led downwards. This was apparently the top
floor of this building.

“Boss, you gotta do something, mew!”

“Hold your horses,” I barked back.
Right now, we needed to go up. If the water level was this high, there
shouldn’t be water above us. With that in mind, I used my earth magic to
create a step along the wall. I perched on it and reached to the ceiling.
“Hmph!” I grunted, using my magic to open a hole above me.

I climbed outside only to find a heavy downpour and enormous trees
lined up to the horizon. The canopy above obscured my view of the sky
completely. Meanwhile, the ground below was being washed away by a

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raging flood. I might even be forgiven for thinking it was a river rather than a
forest, but that was all the proof we needed to know we’d made it to our
destination. There was no mistake about it. This was definitely the Great
Forest.

As I expected, the spot where I stood was at the very top of the ruins
we’d teleported into, and the entire place was flooded.

“This is real bad, mew. What’re we gonna do? This isn’t how I
imagined this going, mew.”

Linia and Leo had also climbed up onto the roof with me.

“I can either freeze the water so we can walk across it, or I can make a
boat and use magic to propel us.”

Her eyes lit up. “Ooh, Boss! I knew you had it in ya, mew!”

“But with the rain like this, I have no idea what direction we should
even head in,” I confessed.

Linia nodded. “Yeah, with such bad weather, I’m as lost as you, mew.”

So I figured. This was no normal flood; the water had risen all the way
to the very top of these ruins. It was probably about five meters high.
Anything that might have normally acted as a landmark wouldn’t be visible
right now.

“S-so what should we do, mew?” Linia asked.

“Should we wait for the rainy season to end?”

“When it does end, that’ll be mating season, mew. If that happens, I’ll
end up being someone’s plaything, mew.”

Ah, right. Mating season. It was one thing to resist her when we were
at home, but I wasn’t sure I could hold myself back on a trip like this.
Perhaps it would be better to get going then. Or would it be better to go back
and see if Orsted had some kind of item to help us along?

“Woof!” Leo barked, puffing out his chest as he looked up at me.

What’s with him?

“Ya mean it, mew?!” Linia hopped in, responding for me.

“Woof!”

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“You aren’t the Sacred Beast for nothing, that’s for sure, mew!”

I was a genius to bring Linia along, considering she could understand
him. Had to have someone bow-lingual to communicate with this dog.
“What’s he saying, Linia?”

“He knows the way, so he said to make a boat, mew.”

“All right, roger that.”

Linia was right; Leo’s title wasn’t meaningless. He was very capable.

With that decided, I used my earth magic to conjure a boat. The issue
with my earth-crafting was that the more mana I concentrated into it, the
heavier whatever I was trying to make became. However, by decreasing the
intensity of mana that I used, I could also make something lighter. To
construct a proper boat, I would need to use a honeycomb pattern and
maintain mana density while shaping, making sure the center could contain
air and give it buoyancy.

It took a little more than an hour to complete the project. The end
product was a misshapen square raft.

Ah well, it floats, and its propulsion is entirely based on my own magic.
This should suit us just fine.

“All right! Shall we be off?”

Linia looked uneasy. “You sure this is gonna be okay, mew? Boss, did
you run outta mana or something? I sure hope we don’t sink halfway there,
mew…”

“If it starts going under, we’ll stop midway and climb one of the trees
and rest on the branches for a while,” I said as I climbed aboard the raft. It
lacked stability, but I could simply patch it up along the way.

“Urgh, I’m really not so sure about this, mew…” Linia frowned.

“Woof!”

Linia’s head shot up. “Oh, Boss, he says to go that way, mew.”

“Got it. Well then, off we go.”

I used my mana to control the surrounding waters, pushing us forward
in the direction Leo indicated.

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Two days later, we arrived at the Doldia Village. It wasn’t that far from
the ruins, distance-wise, but we were accosted by monsters along the way and
got pushed off course by the currents, so we got a little lost. If we hadn’t been
lucky enough to drift onto the Holy Sword Highway, it might have taken
another ten days for us to find our way.

“Hey, look!”

“It’s the Sacred Beast!”

“Someone, report this to Lord Gyes!”

The whole village erupted into a great fuss upon spotting us. Warriors
came rushing out, almost like bees swarming out of a hive, and they were all
fully decked out.

“It’s a human male.”

“Don’t tell me he’s the one who kidnapped the Sacred Beast…?”

“Come to think of it, there was an incident just like this ten years ago.”

As our raft drew closer, the beastfolk grew even more wary. The
atmosphere was so tense that it seemed likely they might clap us in irons
without any room for discussion.

Oh boy, now what? They might capture me, strip me, and throw me in
a cell again.

Just as I was beginning to grow worried, Linia stood up.

“Everyone! I, Linia Dedoldia, daughter of Gyes Dedoldia, have made
my return, mew!” she declared.

“Huh?”

The warriors froze, scrutinizing her face before they all began sniffing
the air in unison.

“It’s true. That’s really Linia.”

“She sure has grown.”

“Yeah, it’s been like twelve or thirteen years by now, right?”

The air grew thick with nostalgia. I felt relieved for a moment, but that

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was soon shattered.

“We already heard from Pursena, you know!”

“What was all that talk about you becoming a merchant, huh?!”

“You need to fulfill your duties here in the village!”

They immediately started heckling us.

“Argh, I knew it!” Linia cried. “Boss, get us out of here! I’m beggin’
ya, mew!”

I ignored her and propelled us the rest of the way to safe harbor.

Nothing about the village had changed since I’d last been here. They
were just as isolationist—and hostile toward outsiders—as before. At least, I
had Linia with me this time, and there were quite a few who remembered me.

I was last here ten years ago. Those who had been children at the time
were now warriors, but they remembered who I was after catching a whiff of
my scent. There were also those among their veterans who recalled who I
was as well. For example, the man who threw water on me all those years
ago. He’d had five kids over the past ten years and returned to his duties as
one of their warriors. He sure was passionate about his job.

While everyone was somewhat welcoming toward me, they were quick
to start bashing Linia.

“How dare you! You’re the chief’s daughter and you have the nerve to
abandon your duties!”

“You’re a disgrace to our tribe!”

Linia hunched her shoulders and hid behind me. Tears welled in her
eyes as she mumbled quietly, “This is exactly why I didn’t wanna come back
here, mew.”

It was really her own fault things were like this.

The villagers continued disparaging Linia for a bit, at least until the
Sacred Beast shook himself dry and drew their attention.

“That’s right! The Sacred Beast is far more important than Linia!”

“Yeah! He’s finally back with us!”

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“Just where have you been all this time?”

Linia was forgotten as they focused completely on Leo. They kept
asking where he’d been and how he got taken away in the first place. In the
process, those present who weren’t familiar with me gradually grew
suspicious, eyeing me like they thought I’d been the one responsible for
kidnapping him.

This sure brought back memories. If someone blurted out, “Oh yeah,
this is the pervert who fell in love with the Sacred Beast ten years ago, right?”
I would be thrown into jail for sure.

While I was preoccupied with these musings, a loud voice boomed
through the crowd.

“Everyone, quiet, mew!”

“Shut up, all of you!”

The two who came forward were female warriors—Minitona and
Tersena. I recognized them. I had even saved them in the past. They acted as
leaders, quieting the crowd as they strolled up to me.

“There’s no point in making a fuss here, mew!” Minitona declared.

“You can give us the details at the chief’s house,” said Tersena.
“Everyone, make way!”

We were soon guided off to Gyes’s residence.

Gyes was now the chief of the tribe. The former chief, Gustav, had
sustained a terrible injury fighting a monster during the rainy season a few
years ago, which resulted in an early retirement. He had left Gyes in charge
of the village and was living out the rest of his days peacefully in another
settlement.

Perhaps that was why Gyes seemed more dignified now. He seemed
much more laid-back. By the looks of things, the odds of me being framed
for a crime I didn’t commit were a lot lower this time.

Relieved, I handed over the package of smoked meat I had bought in
Sharia and brought as an offering. Then I started explaining the situation. I
told them I was facing a powerful enemy, and I didn’t want to be constantly

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anxious about my family’s safety while opposing them. That was why I tried
summoning someone or something to protect them, which resulted in the
Sacred Beast appearing. He had thus become our Guardian Beast.

Once I was finished, Gyes’s expression turned bitter. “That’s all a bit
difficult to believe.”

I didn’t doubt that. I myself was shocked when Leo appeared.
Although I had been even more shocked at who appeared before Leo, the first
time I did it.

“Woof, woof!” Leo barked from his spot beside me, sitting all prim
and proper.

“See? He’s backing up my story,” I said. I didn’t actually have a clue
what he was saying, but I assumed he was voicing his support for my version
of events.

“The only thing he mentioned was that the food in your house is
supposedly delicious,” Gyes informed me.

“Sorry?” I gaped.

“I jest. He said, ‘I am there to be at his daughter’s side, to do what
must be done.’” Gyes sighed.

That was a joke? Gyes, you rascal. You can actually tell jokes now,
huh?

Anyway, so Leo was interested in my daughter, huh? Lucie? Nah,
probably Lara. He was really attached to her, after all. From what I had seen,
he was almost always glued to her baby bed. Orsted had even agreed that
Lara had special promise.

“Woof!”

“Hm? Destiny, you say?”

Gyes and Leo faced each other, seemingly engrossed in conversation.
Alas, I had no idea what it was about because I didn’t speak Woofenese.

“Linia, can you interpret for me?” I asked.

“Hm? Oh sure, mew.”

Her interpretation let me listen in on their conversation.

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“True, there is a legend that one hundred years after the Sacred Beast is
born, a messiah will appear to save the world, and the Sacred Beast will
supposedly aid them on their quest,” Gyes said thoughtfully.

“Woof!” (Linia’s translation: “Tell me! What do you think the Doldia
Tribe’s duty is, mew?”)

“Our duty is to protect the Sacred Beast until the savior appears.”

“Woof, woof!” (Linia’s translation: “And I, the great and majestic
Sacred Beast, have found that savior, mew! This man’s daughter is our
savior!”)

“I don’t doubt that you’re telling the truth. However, this is
unprecedented—for the savior’s father to summon the Sacred Beast directly
and have him protect her from infancy…”

Through Linia’s interpretation, Leo made a point of emphasizing his
importance as he spoke. That level of arrogance reminded me of a certain
buff Demon King I had met in the past.

Anyway, so my daughter was the savior, huh? Our little baby Lara with
that impudent-looking face? Orsted had hinted something along those lines,
but nothing concrete. Huh. It felt very surreal, somehow.

Maybe I should start teaching her kung fu while she’s young. You
know, passing along my fatherly knowledge.

“Woof, woof. Woof woof, woof!” (Linia’s translation: “The legend
also talks about a possibility of the savior dying early! Tell me, do you recall
what that entails?!”)

After a brief pause, Gyes answered, “According to the legend, if the
savior dies, the Sacred Tree will wither. The Sacred Beast will also grow
weaker and weaker until death takes him.”

“Grrrr!” (Linia’s translation: “Someone is after my master’s life! Is it
your desire to snuff mine out as well?!”)

Gyes shook his head. “No, that is absolutely not what we want.”

“Arf!” (Linia’s translation: “In that case, there should be no issue
here!”)

Again, Gyes’s expression soured. He glared at Linia, who had been

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animatedly interpreting the conversation for me the entire time. Linia
withered under his gaze and hid behind me.

This is why you gotta quit joking around. Yeah, I’m the one who asked
you to interpret, but you’re the one who took weird creative liberties and
pissed him off. You goofed, so you need to deal with the consequences.

“Linia,” Gyes said suddenly. “Is everything he’s saying true?”

“Y-yes, it is, sir. He’s there to protect Boss’s—uh, I mean—Lord
Rudeus’s child, mew.”

It was rare for her to speak so politely. Apparently even Sharia’s
arrogant delinquent was terrified of her father.

“A human girl, hm?” Gyes paused. “It’s only been twenty years since
the Sacred Beast was born, so I was under the impression it would be another
eighty years until he fulfilled his duty.”

“Technically, the girl is half-human and half-demon,” Linia corrected.
“So I think she’ll have a long life, mew.”

“Aha, I see. I didn’t account for the possibility she might be a
demon…” Gyes crossed his arms over his chest, lost in thought.

In the decade since I’d last seen him, he looked far more introspective
than he once had. He was more the thoughtless type before, more likely to
rush in headlong than to pause and consider his options. He seemed to have
mellowed out a lot, much like the previous chief, Gustav. Perhaps there was
something about maturing past thirty that helped soften beastfolk.

Would the same be true for Linia? Nah, I was sure she’d be the same
until the day she died.

The two young women standing behind Gyes chimed in, “There’s no
way a demon could be the savior, mew!”

“Yeah! And he said he called the Sacred Beast to him with summoning
magic. I’ll bet he used some weird sorcery to trick the Sacred Beast!”

Minitona and Tersuna sounded just like Gyes had in his younger days.
Weird. I was pretty sure in the past they were grateful to me for my help. I
guess being around the other beastfolk for so long colored their view, huh?

Their shift in attitude aside, they kind of had a point; I did use a magic

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circle devised by Perugius to summon Leo. The circle had conditions placed
on it to make whoever was summoned from it completely obedient to me.
Perhaps that had an impact on Leo, and his belief that my daughter was the
savior was only a delusion.

“No, the chances of that are slim,” said Gyes. “If that were the case,
Lord Rudeus would not come all the way to our village like this. He lives on
the other side of the world. It would have been hard for us to track him down
and do something about him. So he would have ignored the situation if he
was planning anything underhanded.”

“I-I guess so…”

Uh, yeah, about that… I should apologize. I actually did try to ignore
it. Sorry about that.

“Well, that should be enough regarding the matter of the Sacred
Beast,” Gyes said.

“Are you sure that’s wise?”

“He has spoken. Our job now is simply to obey.”

“Woof!” Leo barked, as if agreeing, then promptly placed his head on
my lap.

I instinctively stroked his head, and his expression turned to one of
contentment. Minitona and Tersena looked entirely displeased, as if they
found my actions impudent, but I ignored them. Back home we did this all
the time.

Still, I was surprised that they accepted what Leo had to say so readily.
I guess Linia was right in the end. In fact, I seem to recall Ghislaine saying
something similar too.

“That said, Lord Rudeus… Let’s see… yes, about fifteen years from
now. When your child has matured, please bring her here. I would like to
follow custom and conduct the Sacred Tree ceremony. I am sure it will be a
difficult trek given that it takes about a year to travel from where you live, but
I would still ask it of you. This is a part of our duty.”

“Very well then.”

A ceremony, huh? I had no idea what that entailed exactly, but I
assumed it was some kind of formality. So we’re going to celebrate Lara

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reaching adulthood in fifteen years from now here in the Doldia Village,
huh? I’ll have to write that down in my diary so I don’t forget.

At least that took care of the situation with Leo, and much more
smoothly than I thought it would. I let out a breath. I wasn’t the only one
relieved; I noticed the tension leave Gyes’s shoulders as well. The whole
room seemed more relaxed.

Gyes glanced over at Linia, who immediately flinched. “Now tell me,
why is our brazen little alley cat, Linia, staying with Lord Rudeus, hm?”

“Oh,” I said. “About that, actually. You see, she tried to get into the
trade business, but she ended up racking up a huge de—”

“So glad you asked, mew!” Linia interrupted, suddenly pushing herself
in front of me so she could explain for herself. “You see, I thought about
throwing my hat in and trying out the trading business after I split with
Pursena, but then one day, I received a divine revelation from the heavens,
mew. I followed their advice and returned to the Magic City of Sharia. And
would you believe who I found there? None other than the Sacred Beast
himself! This is it, I thought to myself, the purr-pose for which I was led here
—to look after the Sacred Beast and all his needs! So really, I haven’t
forgotten the duty our tribe’s been tasked with. In fact, the whole reason I
didn’t come back was because, as one of our warriors, I was trying to fulfill
my role, mew!”

Wow. It sure was impressive how she could pull so many lies out of
thin air like that. Or perhaps she’d been contemplating what excuses to feed
her father in advance?

Gyes eyed her skeptically, but Minitona and Tersena looked
completely convinced. They had regarded her disdainfully moments before,
but now they gazed at her with something bordering on reverence.

These guys really are simple-minded.

Although I had read in a manga somewhere that once people stop
looking down on others and start to respect people, it facilitates their own
growth. It made sense; finding something good in an otherwise hopeless
person reflected on one’s maturity.

But still, lying wasn’t great.

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“Pardon, Mister Gyes,” I cut in. “Actually, she tried her hands at the
whole trading business and racked up a bunch of debt. That’s how she ended
up being turned into a slave, and I stepped in to save her. Well, really, I just
shouldered her debt for her.”

“Interesting,” he said.

“Meeew! Boss, you’re not supposed to tell them the truth!” Linia
screeched at me.

Minitona and Tersena were back to giving her dirty looks.

“She’s currently working at my place to return the money she owes,” I
explained.

“So what you mean, Lord Rudeus, is that she is currently your slave.
Correct?”

Urk. Now that I think about it, she is Gyes’s daughter. I can only
imagine how he feels as a father, hearing that his child has been turned into
a slave. If it were me and I heard Lucie was a slave, I’d kill whoever owned
her and set her free, no questions asked.

Regardless, I couldn’t bring myself to lie.

“Effectively, I guess you could say that,” I admitted reluctantly. “But
to be clear, I am most certainly not treating her like a slave. I’m just helping
her get back on her feet, as a friend.”

Gyes shook his head. “I don’t care whatever the circumstances are. She
is the one who abandoned her duties for her ambition, only to end up in
enormous debt and bring trouble to the door of our peoples’ hero. I would be
ashamed for anyone to even know she’s from our village. So please, feel free
to do whatever you want with her.”

Oh, wow. Gyes, man, you sure have turned into a man of reason since I
last saw you.

Actually, no. Judging by his face, he was actually lamenting the kind
of woman his daughter had turned into.

Linia frowned. “Hey, Daddy, isn’t that a bit cruel, mew? I was in a real
bind there, you know. If things hadn’t gone the way they did, I’d have been a
sex toy for some perverted nobles.”

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“As I recall, Lord Rudeus,” he said, mostly ignoring her, “your libido
was strong even as a child. Mating season should start soon enough. When
that happens, you are welcome to use Linia as you please.”

“Mew! Daddy, have you no concern for your daughter’s chastity?!”
Linia waved her fists in the air, incensed.

Gyes glared at her, his throat rumbling low and deep as he snapped,
“Silence. If you claim to be one of the beastfolk, then you should offer your
body freely to repay what you owe.”

“Urgh…” Linia shrunk back. “F-fine, I understand, mew. I was the one
in the wrong, mew.” She hid behind me again.

Look, I don’t mind if you use me as a shield, but don’t push your
breasts up against my back. I have no intention of doing anything to you,
mating season or not.

“At any rate, it is true that someone needs to be there to look after the
Sacred Beast, and we haven’t the means of returning the debt Linia owes
anyway,” said Gyes. “So please take her with you when you go.”

Someone to look after Leo, huh? I didn’t really think he needed that,
but the Doldia Tribe did have their duty to fulfill. If they wanted to watch
over him, I had no reason to refuse them. Besides, it would be a bigger
problem for me if Linia did remain.

“However,” Gyes continued, “I do feel uneasy sending Linia by
herself.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Boss, I’d really rather you not agree with him about that, mew…”
Linia grumbled miserably from behind me. Unfortunately for her, I
understood where her father was coming from. It wasn’t because she was
unreliable or anything…just that, lately, she was kinda leaning that way.

“So one more person, then.” Gyes stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Let’s
see… Ah yes, what about taking Minitona or Tersena with you to look after
the Sacred Beast?”

The moment their names were mentioned, the two girls stepped forth,
both fully decked out in leather armor with thick swords on their backs. They
were both muscular with ample breasts. They’d been rather well endowed

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when they were younger, but they’d only matured since then. The beastfolk
were the perfect tribe for any fan of big chests.

“I’ll go, mew,” said Minitona.
Tersena shook her head. “No, I will.”
“I’m better with a sword and smarter too, mew.”
“She lies. We both attended the school in Zandport, and I was the one
with the better grades.”
Were they really that desperate to wait on Leo hand and foot? Fifteen
years away from this place would kill any chance either of them had at
becoming chief one day, if that’s what they wanted. Or was it a greater honor
in their tribe to look after the Sacred Beast than to become chief?
“Tersena may have had the better magic grades, but I was better at
everything else, mew,” Minitona insisted.
“That’s not true at all, Tona. You big liar!”
“You’re the liar, Tersena!”
The two reminded me of Linia and Pursena, each defending their own
position.
Oh yeah, come to think of it… “Has Pursena not made it back home
yet?” I asked.
Gyes’s expression immediately soured.

***

“This way.”
I was led to a building at the edge of the village. It was a familiar place
for me, at least. Truly familiar. I had once lived here myself before. It was
quite a comfortable little spot, although I did end up sharing it with a
roommate at one point—a middle-aged man with a monkey’s face. It had
been a nice accommodation even so. The security was top-notch and—okay,
yeah. Enough of the jokes. Basically, they brought me to the jail.
Linia refused to enter, apparently having had bad experiences with this

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place herself.

Once inside, I stared silently. Pursena was lazily stretched across a bed,
looking utterly slovenly. They hadn’t stripped her completely as they did me,
but what she was wearing left her pretty exposed. She wore a plain, unsexy
gray shirt and cropped pants. Her back was turned to us, and I watched
through the metal bars as she stuffed her hand down the waistband of her
pants to scratch at her tail. The complete lack of femininity was startling.

“Hey, Pursena, wake up!” Gyes snapped.

“Ngh, I can’t eat any more…” Pursena mumbled in her sleep, tail
wagging back and forth.

“It’s mealtime.”

It was the oldest trick in the book and she fell for it immediately.

“…Ngah!” Pursena jolted upright and sprang up, pausing momentarily
to yawn. “Fwaaah…”

As she stretched, the thin fabric of her shirt stretched across her
breasts, which were as large as I remembered. Her clothes fit her like a glove,
and it was poison to the eyes. The kind of poison that no amount of
detoxification magic could cure.

“Hm? I don’t smell any food.” Pursena’s nose twitched as she glanced
around groggily. Her eyes landed on us.

“Pursena, you have a visitor,” said Gyes.

Pursena blankly stared back at first, but the moment she saw me, her
eyes flew wide open and she lunged herself at the bars, clinging to them.
“Boss! You’ve got this all wrong. I’m innocent, I swear! You gotta help me!”

This time, I was the one taken aback.

Gyes let out a long sigh.

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Chapter 9:
The Case of the Jerky Thief

THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ten days prior, as the rainy season began in

the Doldia Village. Someone had murdered—err, wait, this isn’t a detective
novel. I mean, someone stole some dried Rainforest Lizard meat the village
had stored for later consumption. Naturally, the warriors conducted an
immediate investigation. There was only one suspect: a female warrior
named Pursena Adoldia.

Pursena was the daughter of the Adoldia tribe’s chief, and she had only
returned to the village about six months ago. She’d come back as an
accomplished graduate of the Ranoa University of Magic and promptly
announced to everyone, “As a candidate for future matriarch of our people, I
have returned to fulfill my duty! By the way, Linia is a big loser.” And thus,
she entered the Doldia Tribe’s militia.

The matriarch is the person at the apex of the hierarchy of the Doldia
tribes, which included the Dedoldia and the Adoldia. You didn’t earn that
kind of position simply by wanting it. You needed adequate strength and the
trust of the other warriors, and it was also necessary to earn the position of
warrior chief before the reigning patriarch stepped down.

Pursena had both the talent and accomplished history to ascend to the
position of warrior chief except for one small issue: she’d left the village
before she could enter the militia’s ranks and had spent over a decade away.
She wasn’t accustomed to being a part of the community. That was why the
current chief and patriarch, Gyes, had agreed to let her train for the position.
Once she was competent at her work in the village, and had memorized all
the scents and faces of the other members, she would be promoted to warrior
chief. From there, she could someday earn herself the title of matriarch. You
could call it an elite induction course.

Since Pursena knew high-level healing magic, she earned the other
warriors’ respect in no time. Gyes was satisfied with her progress. Once the
rainy season was over, he planned to have her marry, then he would promote
her to warrior chief.

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That, sadly, was when the incident occurred.

The night the food was stolen, Pursena was on duty in front of their
provisions storehouse. It was packed full in preparation for the upcoming
rainy season, and at night, they always had a group of two keeping an eye on
the place.

The person working alongside Pursena at the time was another
Adoldian warrior by the name of Kanaluna. Unfortunately, Kanaluna she was
feeling ill that day. The day before, she’d been hurt fighting one of the many
beasts that appeared in these parts, and the wound had festered without
proper treatment. Kanaluna had claimed it was nothing to worry about, but
the person working the afternoon shift before her attested, “During the shift
change, her face was white as a sheet.”

As was proper for an upcoming matriarch, Pursena told her, “Go home
and rest. I’ll take care of things here.” Kanaluna did as she was told and
slipped into the nap room to catch a few winks. She only intended to rest her
eyes for a little while, but she was out like a light—perhaps because her body
needed the extra sleep to heal itself.

Early the following morning, a single warrior arrived at the storehouse
for the shift change. But when he got there, he noticed that one of the guards
who should have been present was nowhere to be seen. Thinking it
suspicious, he looked inside the storehouse, only to find someone had broken
in and ravaged the place, devouring things left and right. But that wasn’t all
—Pursena was in there with crumbs all over her face, happily snoring away,
having filled her belly.

Pursena was arrested on the spot for her crime. In the Doldia Village,
food theft during the rainy season was a serious crime. Whatever trust she’d
built up with the other warriors evaporated, and her chances at becoming
warrior chief—let alone matriarch—were obliterated.

Anyway, that was how she ended up in the slammer.

“Someone came up behind me that day and decked me in the head,
knocking me clean out. The next thing I knew, I was inside the storehouse,”
claimed Pursena. “Someone framed me, the sick bastard! Boss, I’m begging
you. Search for the real criminal! I’ll bet there was someone out there who
didn’t want me becoming the matriarch. Minitona and Tersena seem the most
suspicious, if you ask me!”

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She huffed, adding, “And anyway, none of it makes any sense. I’d
never be stupid enough to get caught that quickly if I was really behind the
theft. It would be too obvious, especially after I sent Kanaluna home. I
wouldn’t pig out like that, either—I’d swipe stuff little by little so no one
found me out!”

She was insistent about her innocence. I could say from my first
impression of them—and from personal experience—that the beastfolk were
skilled at wrongly accusing people. If Pursena really was innocent, then I
wanted to help her.

I decided to do a little investigating.

The Doldia Village was a mix of Dedoldians and Adoldians. Since its
primary duty was to look after and protect the Sacred Beast, many of its
inhabitants were in the militia, but there also were many married couples and
children since they raised their young here. It was a pretty large settlement of
about five hundred people, all living atop the trees.

Since the land below them flooded completely during the rainy season,
they were more like an island in the middle of a continent. This made it
exceedingly unlikely that the culprit was an outsider. There couldn’t be many
out there who could navigate these stormy waters like I could.

If we assumed that Pursena was telling the truth, then the most likely
explanation was that someone here had framed her. So with the help of my
trusty assistant Watson and police inspector Gyes, I set about gathering
evidence and testimony from witnesses.

“And there you have it,” I said. “Let’s get going, Watson.”

Linia tilted her head. “Who’s this Watson, mew?”

“That’s you, Linia. There’s a certain country out there where people
call their assistant Watson,” I explained.

“Uh, okay…”

Gyes seemed to have no problems being given the title of police
inspector, but despite that indulgence, he did sigh as if he thought this whole
thing was an exercise in futility.

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First Witness Testimony

NAME: Gimel
PROFESSION: Warrior
ASSOCIATION WITH THE ACCUSED: First responder at the scene

“So you’re the one who first discovered the scene of the crime?” I
clarified.

“Yes.”
Déjà vu hit me the moment I spotted the man in question. I was pretty
sure I had seen him somewhere before.
Maybe I should ask.
Character Select: Gimel
Dialogue Option: Inquire about past
“Have I met you somewhere before?” I asked.
The man nodded. “Yes. Ten years ago, I fell into the water and you
saved me.”

Oh, interesting. Come to think of it, ten years ago Ruijerd and I did
save someone during the rainy season. I remembered the cute little boy
wagging his tail at me in gratitude.

Boy, that sure brings back memories.
Anyway, that didn’t matter right now. I had to focus on solving this
mystery.
“When you found Pursena ten days ago after she’d stolen into the
storehouse and eaten all that food, how did the place look? Can you describe
the scene for me?”
“Uh, let’s see… The boxes of lizard jerky were cracked open and
Pursena was curled up in front of them, fast asleep. Her stomach was all
bloated and she was cradling the food with her hands, a smile on her face as

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she mumbled to herself, ‘I can’t eat another bite.’”

I could picture that so vividly in my mind. Perhaps because it sounded
almost exactly like the scene I’d witnessed a few brief moments ago.

“In other words, no one actually directly saw her eating the jerky,
correct?”

He nodded. “That’s right. Although, we did find some of the meat
stuck between her teeth, and her saliva smelled like that of some of the half-
eaten jerky she’d discarded nearby on the ground.”

Huh. The Doldians sure did have a unique way of investigating. A
person’s innocence or lack thereof could be established by smell alone. They
had absolute confidence in their schnozzes. As far as they were concerned,
finding the scent of the stolen goods on someone’s saliva was all the proof
they needed. But it wasn’t foolproof.

“You say that her stomach was bloated with food, but am I correct in
assuming you don’t actually know whether it was the jerky inside her or
not?” I asked.

“No. But her burp also carried the scent of the lizard meat. I’ve eaten it
before, so I know exactly what it smells like,” he said.

Or maybe it was foolproof, whoops.

If they could detect the scent of whatever was inside her belly, then it
was practically guaranteed that Pursena had, in fact, devoured the jerky.
Assuming no one had cut her open with giant scissors and stuffed her
stomach full of the jerky, that is.

“Was there anything else?” I pressed him, hoping for something. “For
instance…footprints belonging to someone other than Pursena?”

“No. No other footprints, no other scents, and no other hair found at the
scene.”

Interesting. Well, in that case, the true culprit had committed the
perfect crime.

Second Witness Testimony

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NAME: Kanaluna

PROFESSION: Warrior

ASSOCIATION WITH THE ACCUSED: Fellow night shift guard

“Miss Kanaluna,” I said, “what was Pursena like on the day of the
incident?”

“She kept saying the same thing over and over. ‘I haven’t eaten
anything since this morning. I’m starving.’”

So Pursena was famished on the day of the crime. That was awfully
strange, given the Pursena I knew was always chowing down on something
regardless of whether it was mealtime or not. She was like a garbage can,
eating any kind of meat: dried, smoked, or raw.

Something seemed amiss here.

“And can you tell me why she hadn’t eaten?”

“When we were exterminating monsters the day before, there were a
bunch of people who got injured,” she explained.

That had been written in the report as well; the day before, an
enormous group of monsters had appeared. They were fortunate that no
civilians were injured, but many of their warriors were badly hurt.

“Hm,” I said.

“Pursena is the only one in the village who can use advanced healing
magic. She was running back and forth constantly trying to heal all those
who’d been seriously hurt. In the end, she collapsed from lack of mana.”

I had experienced that myself before; when you ran dry, you passed out
and didn’t wake for half a day, or even a whole day in some cases. Pursena
was no exception. She must have passed out, and by the time she awoke, it
was her turn for guard duty. From the sounds of things, she went straight to
work without eating or drinking a thing.

“Couldn’t you guys have fed her or something?” I asked.

Kanaluna shook her head. “The rules are the rules.”

During the rainy season, any snacking or eating outside regular meal

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times was prohibited. They kept strict tabs on their provisions to ensure they
didn’t run out before the three-month period was over.

“What about letting her skip out on duty for the day?”
“So many monsters attacked the day before that a good portion of our
warriors were still bedridden. We didn’t have enough people. As much as we
would have liked to let her rest, even she herself said, ‘It’s just a little hunger,
nothing serious.’”
It made sense. She probably felt a sense of duty as the future matriarch.
That was admirable. She’d be a shining example to my past lazy self who
tried every excuse in the book to skip out on his obligations.
“And that’s what led to the incident,” I surmised.
“Correct. I keep thinking, if only I had found her something to eat back
then, this might never have happened.”
The circumstances seemed to warrant an exception in this case for
Pursena’s offense, but that would be difficult since the suspect in question
still steadfastly claimed she hadn’t done it.

Watson’s Input

“Watson…” I shook my head. “No, Linia. What do you think, having
heard all of that?” I figured it was worth asking my assistant, since she was
Pursena’s friend, after all.

“I thought she was guilty from the start, mew.”
“Hm.”
“She’s always had the habit of swiping anything available and
devouring it when her stomach’s empty, mew. She’s even eaten some of my
dried fish before, you know.”
So she already has a prior offense on her record…

Having heard what everyone had to say, I noticed there was only one
witness whose statement seemed inconsistent. Someone had to be lying. But

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who could it be?

Character Select: Pursena

Correct, it was Pursena. She was the only one who hadn’t admitted to
her own actions, claiming someone had punched her from behind.

I returned to the jail to question her about it once more.

Action Select: Move location

Location: Edge of the village → Jail

Character Select: Pursena

Dialogue Option: Ask about incident

“Pursena,” I said. “Are you absolutely certain you aren’t guilty? Look
me in the eyes and tell me.”

“I mean it, Boss. Believe me.” She gazed directly at me, eyes
glimmering and hands clasped in front of her. The one thing that seemed
suspicious was the way her tail wagged.

Time to trick her into telling the truth.

“If I advocate for you, there’s a good chance I can get you out of here,”
I offered.

“I knew you could do it, Boss!”

“But, if you do leave this cell and I discover you are lying, I won’t let
you eat meat for a whole year.”

Pursena flinched. “W-well, of c-course I’m n-not lying!”

I stared her down. “Can you swear to God?”

“I-I can!” Her eyes darted back and forth nervously.

I knew something was fishy. That’s a guilty look if I’ve ever seen one.

“Just so you’re aware, I show no mercy to those who blaspheme my
God.” I reached through the bars and grabbed her head in my hands, forcing
her to look me in the face as I spoke to her. “Can you truly swear to God?”

Pursena was fully aware of the person I revered so greatly. Her face
went deathly pale and her entire body began to tremble. She curled her tail
between her legs and grabbed the tip of it with both hands.

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“Well?”

“I-It was me. I did it,” she finally blurted.

And with that, the case was solved. The culprit was, as everyone
expected, Pursena Adoldia. She laid the blame on an unidentified third party
because she didn’t want to admit responsibility. Sneaky little devil. Although
she was bewitched by the meat, so perhaps she was a victim herself in a way.

“Mister Gyes, I apologize for the extra trouble,” I said.

“It’s fine. More importantly, are you sure you’re all right with
Pursena?”

He’d watched the whole thing play out with an exasperated look, but
now that everything was resolved, he seemed eager about something I
couldn’t place. “All right with Pursena, for what?”

“I’m speaking, of course, about the other warrior you plan to take with
you to look after the Sacred Beast.”

Um, what? Hold up here. I never said a word about wanting Pursena
to fill that role.

He seemed way too excited about the prospect of me taking Pursena.
Although, I guess I had brought her up in the first place. It made sense that
he’d gotten the wrong idea.

“Are you truly sure you want her?” he asked again.

“No, I don’t.”

Of course I didn’t want her! I’d be suspected of cheating once again if I
let her into our house on a daily basis. Sylphie and Roxy had both given me
beautiful baby girls, and I didn’t want to screw up my whole family because
of this idiot. I could already picture her gobbling up all our meat, and how
bitter Aisha and Lilia would be afterward. The only person who’d welcome
her with open arms would be Eris.

In any case, it would be better to have someone more serious, who
wouldn’t get me accused of two-timing. Like…yeah, Gimel for instance.

“I see, so you would prefer someone else.” Gyes nodded thoughtfully.
“Then will you be going with Minitona or Tersena?”

“No, those two are also candidates to become matriarch, right? There

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must be someone else.”

We started toward the exit as we discussed our options.

“Ah, wait! Don’t leave me here, Boss! Get me out. I want you to take
me with you! I don’t wanna live a life without meat!”

We both ignored the voice shouting after us.

“Mewhahaha!” Linia cackled as she slipped through the door, having
waited outside this whole time. It seemed she’d been thrown in here naked
before, and going in would only make her relive that shame. That was why
she’d vehemently refused to accompany me at first.

“Heya, Pursena. I see you got your just deserts, mew!”

Pursena’s jaw dropped. “L-Linia?! I thought I caught a whiff of your
scent. What are you doing here?!”

For some reason, Linia was sporting a pair of sunglasses. They were
the same ones she’d worn while she was working—the ones that hid the way
her eyes turned into dollar signs as she counted her money.

“Why, you ask? Mewhehe. You really don’t know, mew?” Linia
grabbed my arm and pressed her breasts against it.

Knock that off already. Urgh, I can already smell you going into heat.

“D-don’t tell me that you and Boss are…?” Pursena’s nose twitched as
she sniffed the air, and her lips trembled.

Linia’s lips pulled into a truly sinister grin. “You got it. Ah, that
reminds mew of the passionate night we spent together. Boss picked me up
and carried me-ow like a princess in his arms. Oh no, I can’t share any more
than that, mew! Just know that Boss made me-ow weep that day.”

“Th-that can’t be…” Pursena shook her head in disbelief. “Boss said
it’d be doing dirty by Fitz and Roxy, so he wouldn’t even give us the time of
day!”

“Mewhaha! Don’t ya think the only reason he never paid you any
attention is because you weren’t attractive enough? The second it was just
him and me-ow, he couldn’t get enough. Aw man, I tell ya, the noble blood
of the Greyrats flows strong in his veins. Our first night together was so
rough, I thought he might break one of my ribs, mew.”

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“B-break one of your ribs?! Just how rough was the sex you were
having?”

She was probably referring the first night she spent with Eris. Eris had
a habit of practically squeezing her bedmate to death in her sleep. I’d fallen
victim to that before. So had Leo, and apparently Linia. The next morning,
Linia was on the verge of tears as she had Sylphie heal her wounds. She
wasn’t lying about the details at least.

“L-Linia, you’re Boss’s wife now?”

“Nah, not his wife exactly, mew…” Linia paused for exaggerated
effect and then said, “But basically, I’m like his slave, mew.”

“His slave?!” Pursena’s face went bright red as she slapped her hands
over her mouth.

Well, the slave part wasn’t a lie, either.

“You could say I’ve carved out a pretty good spot for myself, mew. I
may be his slave, but he lets me work and I’ve got fifty subordinates under
me-ow. Unlike you, I’ll never be thrown in jail, and I get to enjoy Boss’s
affections. Oh, but I gotta admit, it would be way more grand to be the
Doldia’s matriarch, mew. But you seem to be out of the running for that.
Mewhaha!”

Her obnoxious laughter filled the room.

“Liniaaaa!” Pursena’s face heated with anger as she grabbed the metal
bars and shook them. Slowly but surely, the strength left her body until she at
least slumped to her knees, sniffling. “It’s not fair… That day, I really was so
busy I couldn’t find time to eat a single bite the whole day. I didn’t even eat
that much from the storehouse—only what I’d eat during any normal meal.
We could replenish that much by killing and drying out another beast…” She
slumped forward and began weeping.

Linia finally peeled herself from me. “Aaah, that felt good, mew.” She
did look truly satisfied.

What a terrible person.

That said, I did think that Pursena’s exceptional circumstances
deserved some consideration. The monster attack had gone on from midnight
until early morning. Whoever was on guard duty at the time was responsible

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for the number of injuries, as far as I was concerned. Their misstep had
shifted the burden onto Pursena, as one of the tribe’s healers. Once all the
monsters were dealt with, she’d worked tirelessly to heal people, which was
probably why so many were saved. But in the end, she collapsed, having
spent all her mana. They gave her no time to eat when she finally woke up
and was sent straight to guard duty.

What she’d gone through would have been rough on anyone. There
were some parts of the situation that, really, no one could be faulted for.
Granted, she did steal food. Even though she’d been assigned to guard duty
after not eating for an entire day, that wasn’t an excuse to swipe food. Back
in Japan, if a police officer was discovered to have committed a crime, they
were immediately removed from duty. She was due some consideration for
her circumstances, but a crime was still a crime. She had defied one of the
village’s rules. She couldn’t very well complain that she was no longer in the
running for warrior chief or matriarch.

“Hey, Boss, Dad…” Linia turned toward us, her expression now
solemn. “I have a favor to ask, mew.” She lowered her entire upper body in
the perfect forty-five-degree bow. “I would like you to appoint Pursena to
look after the Sacred Beast, mew.”

When she lifted her face again, she stared right at us with
determination in her eyes. I stood up a little straighter, ready to hear her out.

“The two of us went to those far off, foreign lands so we could become
the best we could be as potential future matriarchs, mew. I’m confident we
put in more effort than anyone else. We’d never have become head of the
class otherwise, mew. When I lost to Pursena at the very end, I gave up and
let her walk the path of our people. But I only did it ’cause I thought she’d
make a great matriarch, mew. I don’t think it’s fair for her to have to start
back at square one for a single mewstake.”

Linia paused and took a breath before turning toward her father. “I
want you to give her a chance, mew. If she’s able to look after the Sacred
Beast for the next five years—no, make that ten—like she’s supposed to and
fulfills the role assigned to her, then let her come back here with Boss’s
daughter and forgive her for her crime, mew. I won’t ask ya to make her the
matriarch, but I’d like her to at least have a similarly respectable position,
mew.”

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Her request wasn’t the least bit logical. Linia had, herself, abandoned
her duties to become a merchant. She had no right to make a request like this.
Besides, this crime was a result of Pursena’s lack of self-control. I could
admit she deserved some leniency because of the exceptional circumstances.
Truly, I did…but a crime was still a crime. It was too much to ask for
complete forgiveness simply because she’d worked hard up till this point.
That wasn’t a valid reason.

“I cannot do that,” Gyes said, sharing my sentiments.

Mistakes you had made in the past didn’t simply disappear, and you
couldn’t erase them, either. That was how the world worked. I knew that as
well as anyone. Still, I wanted her efforts to be rewarded somehow. Pursena
had worked her hardest; she earnestly attended her classes, snacking on meat
the whole while. We took healing classes together so I knew how dedicated
she was. In my mind there was no question that she’d worked twice as hard
as most people. That was how she topped her class despite most beastfolk
lacking an affinity for magic.

I wanted all of that to pay off for her. I honestly did. Mostly because I
empathized with her: if I worked hard at something, I’d want it to bear fruit
for me, too.

And if I were in a position to help someone be rewarded, I wanted to
do my utmost in that respect.

“Mister Gyes,” I cut in. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d also like to ask
you to agree to Linia’s request.”

“Huh? Boss, you mean it?”

Gyes pulled a face, dipping his chin as he contemplated my request.
After a moment, he finally raised his head again and said, “Very well. I’ll
allow it.”

The Gyes I used to know would have stubbornly said no until the end.
Taking care of the Sacred Beast seemed like an exceedingly prestigious duty,
and not something you’d entrust to a criminal who’d stolen food before. To
not only let Pursena have that honor but to wipe her slate clean too? It was
foolish. The only one who benefited from this was Pursena, and enormously,
too.

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure my judgment on this matter was correct. I

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was probably making a mistake, but that was exactly why I acknowledged I
was being selfish.

“Linia, Pursena,” I said, “you’d best make sure to fulfill your duties
properly. Understood?”

“Yessir, mew!”

“You got it!”

The two girls bowed their heads at the same time. As I watched them, I
found myself thinking, These two really are at their best when they’re
together.

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We used the raft to return the way we came, heading toward the Holy
Sword Highway. When we found the monument to the Seven Great Powers, I
figured it was as good a time as any and pulled out my flute. I managed to
summon Arumanfi, who led us back to the floating fortress.

“This place sure brings back memories. Never thought I’d come back
to the city I once ruled before,” Pursena spoke nostalgically as she gazed at
the Magic City of Sharia from where we stood on the floating fortress.

Yes, she had indeed come back to the very place she might call her
second home.

“Oh, Pursena, there is one teeny thing I forgot to mention, mew,” said
Linia.

“What is it? I’m kinda getting sentimental over here, so I’d appreciate
it if you kept whatever you wanna say short.”

“Well, I did help you out. So for a while, you’re going to be my
underling, got it?”

“Huh?!”

And that was how Pursena became Linia’s lackey.

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Chapter 10:
The Other Slave (Part 1)

SEVERAL DAYS HAD PASSED since the gruesome incident I’d named the

Jerky Murder. Pursena returned to Sharia with us, and Eris was more than
happy to dote on her. She also joined the ranks of our mercenary band, but
that’s a whole other story.

Today, I was working with Zanoba as usual, trying to improve my
Magic Armor. We were making some minor adjustments to Version Two
while developing a more powerful Version Three and Version Four.

I had a whole mountain of ideas, but the majority were either
impossible or next-to-impossible to bring to fruition. Our development was
slow to progress, but I enjoyed the process of working with someone and
making baby steps toward our goal. Today was no different; Zanoba and I sat
opposite one another, studying the blueprints spread out in front of us.

It was then that Zanoba suddenly blurted out, “It seems like Julie is
hiding something from me.”

“Really? Julie, of all people?”

He nodded. “Yes. She’s doing something in secret behind my back.”

“Huh.”

It was rare for him to worry about anything other than dolls and
figures, but it was especially strange for Julie to be weighing on his mind.
Perhaps she’d grown on him since they’d lived together for so long now.

“So,” I said, “what do you mean by ‘in secret’?”

“Lately she’s been going to the market by herself. Even if I ask her
what she bought, she won’t answer me. In fact, she won’t even show me the
figure she’s supposed to be working on. It’s like she’s making something else
without my knowledge. I have tried asking her what she’s doing, but all she
does is brush me off…”

“Well, she is getting to be that age. Maybe this is just a phase?”

Julie’d had her first period not too long ago, and physical changes

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often brought about mental changes: in short, Julie was entering puberty.
She’d known Zanoba since she was very young, but he was still a man. It
wasn’t strange for her to be embarrassed about him discovering her secrets.
Like, for instance, the color of her underwear. That kinda stuff.

“What do you suppose I should do?” Zanoba asked.

“I don’t see any option but to leave her to her own devices.”

Everyone went through puberty at some point. It was a normal part of
life—the period where a person gradually transformed from a child to an
adult. Changes always had a ripple effect, which meant those around them
had to change how they treated the person who was maturing. You had to
start treating them as more of an adult or risk driving them to rebel.

Having said that, Zanoba needed time to figure out how to interact with
her. There was no fixed script for how to deal with people. It was something
you had to learn over time.

“Hm, since she’s a slave, forcing her to answer would be an option,
I’m sure, but…” Zanoba trailed off.

“You plan to make her tell you?”

He shook his head. “No, no. She may live with me now, but she
actually belongs to you, Master. I don’t have the authority to do that. Though
I would not oppose your decision if you requested it of me.” There was
hesitation in manner even as he said that. Calling her my slave was just an
excuse; even if she belonged to him, he had no intention of forcing her to
obey him. I couldn’t blame him for that. I was no different.

“As long as it’s nothing bad and isn’t causing problems, I don’t see the
harm in leaving her be. Do you?”

“Urgh.” Zanoba scrunched his face. “I actually do consider it a
substantial problem that she won’t share the figurine she’s finished…”

“I guess I can see where you’re coming from,” I said. “Hmm, in that
case, why not ask Miss Ginger to try talking to her?”

If it was something Julie didn’t feel comfortable sharing with a man,
perhaps she would be more open to sharing with a woman. She was a young
girl entering puberty, so it was probably hard for her to discuss certain things
with the opposite sex. That was what I assumed, anyway.

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“Hm? Ah, that is a splendid idea!” Zanoba’s face lit up. “Surely Ginger
will be able to handle the matter smoothly!”

It was hard to believe Julie was already entering puberty. Time sure
went by quickly. It probably wouldn’t be long before my little Lucie hit the
same stage in her life. She been growing more used to me lately, and a fond
father-daughter relationship was beginning to bloom between us. Alas, I was
sure the day would come when she’d go back to being fussy and obstinate,
saying things like, “I don’t want you to wash my underwear with Daddy’s!”
and “I hate getting in the bath after Daddy. It’s disgusting!” Urgh, just
imagining it made my stomach knot.

I promise I won’t force you to get in the bath with me, so please at
least be willing to sit at the same dinner table.

“By the way, Master, there’s another topic I’d like to broach with you,”
said Zanoba.

“Oh?”

“Do you have any interest in boxes?”

“Boxes?”

Was he referring to a sweat box? As in, a club? A sweat box might
refer instead to a place where lots of people gathered, from what I understood
of the young people’s slang. Since I had a mercenary band and thus plenty of
opportunities for large gatherings, it might be worth looking into. Sure, I was
interested.

Wait, there’s no way that’s what he means. This is Zanoba we’re
talking about. It’s probably a treasure box or something like that. Yeah,
that’s was more likely. There were probably lots of those boxes out there
encrusted with gems and the like. I’d seen ones like that at Perugius’s place,
and they were the very definition of luxury. They were empty, though.

“Yes. Actually, I found a wonderful craftsman. I would like you to see
their wares as well,” said Zanoba.

To be perfectly frank, I wasn’t really interested. On the other hand, it
was rare for Zanoba to invite me to see an artisan like this.

“What kind of boxes?” I asked.

“Ones with the most incredible designs. I have seen ones of this caliber

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before. Actually… Oh, no. It would be better to see them with your own eyes
rather than have me explain!”

Huh. I had Zanoba pegged for a guy who only loved figures and
nothing else, but it seemed he had a discerning eye when it came to other
kinds of craft as well. For someone as picky as him to shower anything in
praise made me deeply curious.

“In that case, I guess I’ll check it out,” I said.

He grinned from ear to ear. “I knew you would say that, Master.”

***

The shop in question was tucked deep in the artisan quarter. I lost track
of how many blocks we passed on the way. Far fewer people traversed the
artisan quarter than the commerce district, and the buildings were quaint,
lacking any distinguishing characteristics. On top of that, you could easily get
lost in the winding streets.

Despite the quietness of the streets, there were still quite a few people
milling around. It was mostly fussy artisans, who went about with permanent
frowns etched on their faces, as if they’d forgotten how to smile. If I were a
young child, I’d probably take one look at the people around here and start
sobbing.

Zanoba walked with purpose, wasting no time. When we came to forks
in the street, he knew exactly where to turn. We went down a short flight of
stairs, then clambered up a much larger set. We passed through streets
decorated with clotheslines and cut right past a workshop producing strange,
purple smoke. Finally, we arrived.

The store was the size of a small civilian house. It wasn’t grand and
there was no sign out front, either. A thin trail of smoke rose from its
chimney, indicating someone was in, but most people would never guess that
this was a shop.

“This is it.” Zanoba pushed open the door, and a chime echoed to alert
the owner that he had customers.

There was barely any light inside. In fact, the only sources of

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illumination were the streams of sunlight that came in through the window. A
few undecorated display cases formed haphazard lines, blocking most of the
light from the room. Still, there was enough to see what merchandise they
held.

The top shelves had female dolls in fancy outfits. They were similar to
porcelain dolls, but made of wood instead. These dolls were tucked in
lavishly decorated wooden boxes, all neatly arranged in rows. These dolls
and the boxes that contained them were extremely elaborate, which stood in
stark contrast to the shop’s general atmosphere and the simple design of the
display cases themselves.

These must be the boxes Zanoba was talking about.

“What do you think, Master?” he asked.

“Now I see what you were talking about. These really are nice boxes.”

“I knew you would agree.”

Honestly, the boxes were far more finely constructed than the dolls
were. The craftsman had matched the lumber of the boxes to each doll’s
design before carefully chiseling them down and decorating them with
jewels, and lining them with expensive cloth. Each box almost looked like an
intricate bed for its respective doll. Of course, no two boxes were the same;
they were all made to order. My only criticism was that the dolls looked so
inorganic compared to the organic vibe of the boxes they were contained in.
In fact, my figures would look far better nestled in those boxes, amplifying
their charm. I got the sense that the creator valued the quality of their boxes
more than the dolls themselves.

“Hm?”

I looked a little closer and noticed small letters—names—etched on the
boxes. Leila, Abbey, Sofia, Clara, Francine, Natalie…

“Zanoba, what are these names?” I asked.

“Those are the dolls’ names.”

“Oh, okay.”

I’d never named my figurines like that, primarily because they were
based on actual people. That said, in my previous world, many people named
their porcelain dolls or teddy bears. Naming objects like that usually meant

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people remained attached to them for far longer. Although the dolls were less
stunning than the boxes that contained them, surely it wasn’t because the
artisan loved the boxes more. After all, would a parent love their children less
simply because they were ugly? Just so we’re clear, my own daughters were
as beautiful and lovable as the finest gems.

“Allow me to introduce you to the creator,” said Zanoba.

He slipped between the rows of dolls and headed further inside the
shop. I hurried after him, passing the display cases into an area with a slightly
different atmosphere. This room only had one window, and light from it
poured directly across a large workbench. A number of tools were scattered
upon it—ones I was quite familiar with myself: wood, glue, wooden dowels,
a stiff bristle brush, a painting brush, a file, a scraper, a carving knife, and a
chisel. They were all things one would use when making a doll. This store
clearly doubled as a workshop.

A man sat at the workbench with his back to us, focused intently on
whatever he was crafting. Once Zanoba realized the man hadn’t noticed us,
he reached for a bell sitting nearby and rang it thrice.

Ding, ding, ding.

It was a clean, clear sound that echoed through the room. The man’s
shoulders jumped when he heard it.

“Who’s there?” he grunted as he slowly lifted himself up and turned
toward us.

The man was as tall as Zanoba, with a sharp gaze, hollow cheeks,
frazzled hair, and calloused hands. His eyes widened as he scanned the area,
looking for the culprit who’d rung his bell. When he spotted a familiar face,
his lips curved and his voice went up several decibels—as well as octaves.

“Well, well! Look we have here! If it isn’t Master Zanoba.”

“That’s right,” said Zanoba. “I’m back again, Master Belfried.”

“You are always more than welcome. What brings you here today?”
His voice boomed through the room, and it somehow suited the man. I was
more surprised by how friendly the two were. Perhaps they were brothers in a
past life or something.

“I came back to introduce my master to you,” Zanoba said. “I spoke to

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you about him before, if you’ll remember.”

“Oh, him!” Belfried nodded. “The man responsible for those beautiful
girls, yes?!”

“Precisely!” Zanoba turned toward me as he motioned at Belfried.
“Master, this is the owner of this workshop, Master Belfried. He is the
talented artisan responsible for the number of excellent boxes—or rather, doll
beds—you saw decorating the shop.”

His voice was infused with more respect than usual as he showered the
man with compliments. Sure must feel nice to get an introduction as fancy as
that.

“And Master Belfried, this here is my master, the great and powerful
magician Rudeus Greyrat. He is himself an eminent craftsman whose figures
no other person alive could possibly mimic—the kind of rare talent that will
likely be spoken of for many decades after his death.”

His words overflowed with such reverence as he introduced me that it
was overkill and actually made me pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t really care
how people would speak of me after I was dead. They’d probably only
badmouth me as a lady-killer who kept numerous wives.

“I have heard so many rumors about you,” said Belfried. “You are not
merely a top-tier magician, but you also a deeply-learned craftsman as well!”

I shook my head. “I assure you, compared to Zanoba, I’m pretty
ignorant about this stuff.”

“Oh, you are too modest!”

I didn’t want them to put me on this huge pedestal. Truly I was a
complete amateur compared to Zanoba and Perugius, who were far more
earnestly devoted to the fine arts. I merely had the knowledge about figures
I’d brought from my previous life, but even that was shallow at best.

“At any rate,” I said, “those boxes were absolutely fantastic. Even at
just a glance, I—”

“They’re beds,” Belfried interrupted, his tone stern. “That’s where my
daughters sleep. Please, I would ask you to refer to them as beds.”

Huh. He was sure particular about that.

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“Right. Beds, then,” I corrected myself. “I understand. They are such
fine craftsmanship that ‘bed’ does seem the more fitting term for them.”

“I am of the mind to ask you to collaborate with me at some point, so I
would ask you to be mindful about how you speak of my girls’ beds in the
future.”

“R-right.”

Well, I could do that if that’s all he wanted.

I glanced at Zanoba, who looked particularly apologetic. Judging by
the way he spoke, he must have similarly invoked Belfried’s anger this way.
Still, I was pretty sure he’d referred to them as boxes when he’d spoken to
me.

Belfried seemed a little fussy, but his craftsmanship and attention to
detail with these “beds” was top-notch. Zanoba was right about one thing: we
might really want to collaborate with this man in due time. Just as one
preferred to put their expensive paintings in similar-quality frames, it was
best to put extravagant figures in boxes that suited them. We had no need for
such boxes in our plans for the Ruijerd figure, but perhaps we might find a
use for them on a different occasion. For instance, if we presented a gift to
Perugius or wanted to sell something to Asuran nobility. There were plenty of
ways his skills might come in handy.

“Master Belfried, I realize you may be an exceedingly talented artisan,
but the impudence you showed my master is—”

“It’s fine, Zanoba,” I interrupted. “I see nothing wrong with his
request. It’s important to be particular about certain things.”

Zanoba frowned as if not entirely convinced, but Belfried really did
seem to consider his boxes as beds for his dolls. He made them with the
desire to give his dolls a comfortable, serene place to sleep, and it was those
feelings that propelled him to perfect his craft to this quality.

“Speaking of collaboration…” Belfried paused, seeming to remember
something. His gaze turned back to Zanoba. “That little figure maker of yours
came to the shop the other day.”

Figure maker?

“Julie did?” asked Zanoba.

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Ah, so that’s who he was referring to.

I couldn’t shake my mental image of her as an inexperienced amateur,
which was why it felt so strange hearing Belfried refer to her like some kind
of professional crafter. It was true, however, that her skills had grown
immensely. Aside from the use of magic, her skills had far surpassed mine.
She was likely a fine maker of figures by the standards of this world.

“That’s odd. I haven’t asked Julie to purchase anything,” Zanoba
muttered.

“I must tell you, Miss Julie, she…oh, I can hardly express it!” Belfried
continued rambling, completely ignoring Zanoba’s reaction. For whatever
reason, he seemed extremely enthusiastic.

Don’t tell me this guy is a true-born lolicon who somehow witnessed
Julie doing something perverted. I mean, the two of us might have something
in common then, but I definitely don’t want him coming anywhere near my
daughters in that case.

“What did Julie do?” Zanoba narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“The words, I…I’m afraid I cannot even find the right ones to express
what happened!” Belfried cried in delight.

Zanoba and I exchanged glances.

Let me try asking. Don’t worry, you can leave this to me. I may not
look it, but as the face of our company, I’ve recently dipped my toes into the
business of extracting information from people. I even handled an
interrogation to discover the true criminal behind a robbery.

“Please, calm down and explain yourself,” I said. “What exactly did
Julie come here for?”

“A figure—she brought a figure with her.”

I stared back at him. “A figure?”

He wasn’t exactly answering my question, but I was willing to let that
slide for now.

“Yes. It was one I had never seen before in my life. It was incredible.
Absolutely, positively incredible. A masterpiece!”

Once again, Zanoba and I exchanged looks. Julie had shown us every

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single piece she had made. Zanoba had safely tucked most of them away in
his storehouse. She would need his permission to take one out. However,
Zanoba had mentioned that she wouldn’t let him see her most recent work.

“Ah, I can’t stop myself from trembling just thinking about it. See? My
hands are shaking because the joy is so overwhelming.” Belfried held his
hands out for us to see, and they were exactly as he’d described…though I
personally sensed something far more sinister than joy.

“And so I thought to myself, I need to pour these feelings—this
affection, this delight—into my own craftsmanship. Have a look for
yourself!” Belfried scurried back over to his table and grabbed something
before returning to us. He was cradling a box in his hands.

No, not a box. I need to call it a “bed” while I’m here in this shop.

It was white with gold decorations. The fabric lining it was a luxurious
light pink that complemented the rest of the colors perfectly. Although it
lacked gems, unlike the others I’d seen, that simplicity only added to its
elegance. It almost reminded me of a palace canopy bed.

“This is the bed I made for her!” Belfried declared. “I can count the
number of times I have felt this creatively inspired before. That’s how
impactful it was! Ahh, this is the first time I’ve ever been able to create such
a fantastic bed in only a few days’ time.”

It was impressively well made; there was no doubt about that. I’d seen
a lot of stunning works of art from all over, which was why I instantly
recognized this as a rare gem. It was a step above the specimens in the
display cases, with craftsmanship fit for a king. Even Perugius would likely
recognize its quality.

“Oh, Master Zanoba, I cannot believe you would tease me like that—
having your little dollmaker show off a work of that caliber.”

“Hm, but I’m afraid I’m completely in the dark myself…” Zanoba
glanced over at me.

I was a little lost, but I guessed that Julie had brought a figure here. It
was so impressive that it drove Belfried to make a bed for it by his own
choosing. That was what I had gathered. The problem was that Zanoba had
no memory of ordering Julie to do such a thing. That had to mean she’d done
it of her own volition. But why?

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